Member Since December 2017
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About
Kathleen Lucente, CEO and Founder, Red Fan Communications Though technology has advanced at an unprecedented rate in the last 20 years—evolving how, where and when we communicate and interact with each other and the world around us—the way we talk about it remains eerily the same. Kathleen has witnessed and played a significant part in that evolution ever since her entrance into the tech industry more than 20 years ago, first as a journalist, then as a PR professional. Nothing if not resolute, Kathleen has acted as a public relations shaman for some of the largest technology companies and some of the smallest, most promising startups during many of the most turbulent times in tech, from the rise of global telecommunications, nanotechnology and personal computing to international mergers, acquisitions and IPOs. An exceptional manager of people, clients and reputations, her ability to think critically and intuitively in a pinch has led to more than one successful crisis resolution, including the immediate fallout of 9/11 overseas and the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003. After a successful and award-winning career working for IBM, JPMorgan, Ketchum Worldwide and other global brands and agencies, Kathleen moved to Austin just as the city began its meteoric rise as a hotbed for tech startups and investment. In the time since, she has helped countless companies of all stages clarify their purpose, tell their unique stories, differentiate from their competitors and establish lasting relationships with clients and customers. The tenacity with which she approaches her clients’ problems is matched only by her dedication to the Austin community. She serves on several boards and donates much of her and her staff’s time to local nonprofits that have tangible impact throughout the community, including the Trail of Lights, the ABC Kite Fest, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Kathleen Lucente
Published content
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How a marketing client evolves over time will directly impact the effectiveness of the strategies its agency partners develop. If agencies don’t keep up with how clients are changing, the campaigns they create can end up being outdated and less effective, leading to lower client satisfaction levels and poor results. Consequently, an agency may lose business if competitors adapt more quickly and demonstrate a better understanding of evolving client requirements, industry trends and market dynamics. Understanding not only who their clients are, but also how they have changed allows agencies to adjust their strategies accordingly and maintain strong alignment with clients’ ever-evolving needs. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council share reasons why it’s so critical for agencies to remain up-to-date and informed about any changes or developments in their clients’ businesses, objectives and market.
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To help clients enhance their industry influence and distinguish their brands from competitors, agencies often focus on helping leaders at client companies share valuable and informative content to establish their expertise and build trust with consumers. The same dynamic holds true for agency leaders as well—a leader in marketing, advertising or public relations can showcase their agency’s authority and expertise by sharing their own expert knowledge and insights into pain points and solutions potential clients are seeking. Here, 18 members of Forbes Agency Council each share steps they have taken to position themselves as thought leaders in their field so that when someone Googles their name or what they do, there are plenty of search results linking to positive and helpful content online. Following the strategies below can help agency leaders and professionals stand out in a highly competitive market, opening doors not only to new business, but also to valuable networking opportunities and partnerships within the industry.
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As the saying goes, you don’t know what you don’t know. In a marketing, advertising or public relations agency, there are so many different departments, teams and “moving parts” that new and experienced team members alike often lack key information needed to complete a task or make progress on a client project. Rather than have employees run around on wild goose chases to find important details, smart agencies prepare a shared knowledge bank of key information and processes and make it accessible to all. Creating a functional knowledge bank assists agency teams by allowing them to learn from past client challenges and the experiences of their peers. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council share valuable tips to help agencies create their own knowledge banks. Read on to learn how to build a repository of insights that allows both current and future team members to leverage valuable lessons, improve future strategies and campaigns and collectively drive an agency’s overall success.
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Measuring the ROI for internal communications can be challenging; however, a CEO can evaluate internal communications investments' effectiveness and financial return.
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Marketing and sales teams often face challenges in collaborating because they operate with distinct objectives and strategies. Marketers focus on building brand awareness and generating leads, while sales teams prioritize closing deals and driving revenue. Conflicting performance metrics and competing priorities can create tension and hinder the development of productive working relationships, leading to misunderstandings and an interteam dynamic hampered by friction. Conversely, aligning marketing and sales teams around shared goals and improving communication between them can foster a more cohesive approach to customer engagement, resulting in more effective lead generation, smoother conversion processes, and ultimately, increased revenue for the business. Check out the tips from 14 members of Forbes Agency Council below to find out how.
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Aside from a wealth of creative ideas and deep design and branding experience, today’s CMO must possess digital expertise—not only to build strong brands and drive engagement, but also to leverage their unique position in the C-suite. To prove their team’s effectiveness at executing the organization’s marketing strategy (and thus secure the budget needed to continue doing so), the ability to understand and leverage website data, for example, is an essential skill for a CMO to hone. As attribution and first-party data become increasingly vital in B2B contexts, more CMOs find themselves spearheading digital transformation initiatives to harness the power of data-driven insights and architect martech ecosystems that will allow for personalized, memorable customer experiences. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council explore various ways the role of CMO is evolving to further optimize marketing ROI and drive competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive online landscape.
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Selecting the right firm to manage your public relations is a crucial decision for any large enterprise. Your chosen PR firm must align with your organization’s values, understand your vision and have the expertise to effectively convey your message to the world. The larger the organization, the more moving parts it has, making it even more critical to ensure you choose the right PR partners. Below, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council share key traits to look for and important things to consider when hiring a PR firm to help enterprise leaders make a more informed decision. From wide-ranging industry knowledge to a strong crisis management strategy, these vital attributes can promote a positive and productive collaboration between your enterprise business and its outsourced PR team.
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Businesses that sell to other businesses typically take a different approach to marketing than B2C businesses do—one that doesn’t involve the standard campaigns marketers in the B2C world use to reach individual consumers. Because B2B buyers’ goals differ from those of the average consumer, B2B companies have well-established best practices for speaking to multiple decision makers at a company, as opposed to B2C’s single-customer focus. However, adopting certain aspects of consumer campaigns may serve B2B marketers well in their efforts to connect with business customers—or they may not. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council weigh in on how leveraging a bit of B2C-style marketing might impact B2B sales. Check out their expert insights below to learn how incorporating more touch points, personalization, storytelling, emotion and other B2C elements could help (or harm) a B2B marketing strategy.
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Agency life is fast-paced and full of variety, with clients, teammates, projects and goals constantly evolving and changing. While “agencies of record” historically cultivated and held onto long-term clients with full-service, comprehensive packages, today’s often-piecemeal approach to working with multiple agency partners means agencies must go above and beyond to earn their piece of the pie and retain and grow client partnerships beyond one-off campaigns. To develop longtime clients who trust their agency partners to continue to deliver results, there are some best practices agencies can follow to boost retention. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council explore effective ways to ensure not only that clients are happy with the outcomes an agency provides, but also that they stay on board for the long haul.
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Consider these mindful steps to help avoid disaster.
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Agencies, often early adopters of technology and tools that enable innovative new business practices, had already begun to embrace remote and hybrid work before the Covid-19 pandemic led scores of companies across industries to do the same. After several years spent acclimating and adjusting to an even more distributed workforce, agencies remain leaders in this cultural evolution toward hybrid teamwork. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council reflect on how their teams have handled the transition to (or their continued embrace of) remote or hybrid work over the past few years. Outlining cultural shifts their agencies have had to make to fine-tune these new models of working, 20 members share tips that other remote and hybrid agency teams can use to collaborate more effectively and harmoniously.
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Dec 20, 2023
When any professional first begins their career journey, there will be key aspects of their role, company and/or industry that they aren’t familiar with or even aware of yet. Given the wide variety of responsibilities, tasks, objectives and stakeholders one deals with in the world of marketing, advertising and public relations, for rookie agency pros, the saying “you don’t know what you don’t know” holds true; realizing the sheer number of important things regarding their job, team, clients and the space they serve that aren’t on their radar can be overwhelming. Thankfully, new agency professionals can learn a lot from peers, colleagues and leaders who have been there before and can look back at their early days with the 20/20 vision hindsight offers. Below, 20 leaders from Forbes Agency Council share things they wish they had known when they were first starting out, providing expert insights and tips to help newcomers to their industry avoid potential pitfalls and set themselves up on a successful career trajectory.
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With the question of how to harness the immense power of artificial intelligence in a safe and responsible way looming large, organizations around the world are contemplating the best ways to ensure the proper use of AI and mitigate possible drawbacks. While marketers, in particular, have eagerly embraced AI in numerous areas, including content creation, many B2B brands don’t have guidelines in place regarding AI-generated content. Although marketers might realize that early adoption of AI comes with increased risk, they may not understand—or even be cognizant of—potential negative consequences of using it to create content. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council each share one important thing marketers who are planning to leverage AI in their work in the upcoming year need to keep in mind.
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It’s perfectly acceptable to reject deals that don’t align with your payment expectations or that seem risky.
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Influencer collaborations have become a cornerstone for brands wanting to build visibility and consumer engagement. As the holiday season looms, brands seeking innovative ways to leverage influencer marketing beyond traditional sponsored posts can break free from standard conventions and push boundaries to create truly memorable and effective campaigns. Below, Forbes Agency Council members dive into some fresh, out-of-the-box ideas that brands can employ to harness the powerful potential of influencer marketing. Check out their ideas below to ensure your brand’s message rings out and stays top of mind for consumers amid all the festive noise other brands make this year.
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If there is one truth marketers, advertisers and public relations professionals can all attest to, it’s that life in the agency world is never dull. Clients ask their agencies to take on a variety of unique challenges on a daily basis. Some are more interesting than others—and often, more demanding—but there are lessons to be learned from every new project an agency takes on. Having dealt with plenty of intriguing client requests themselves, the members of Forbes Agency Council know how important it is to consider whether their teams are capable of succeeding with something new or out of the scope of their normal practice areas before accepting one. To determine if undertaking a big challenge a client presents is the right move, check out the interesting client requests below that 15 members have chosen to accept in the past, along with lessons they’ve learned along the way.
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Building an authentic community centered around a brand’s identity, voice and story has become more important for marketers in recent years. With social media platforms serving as the epicenter of modern brand engagement, it’s no longer sufficient to simply push out content and hope for the best. Companies must embrace a more personalized approach that prioritizes meaningful interactions, but how exactly can businesses foster a sense of genuine belonging and loyalty among their followers? Below, 20 members of Forbes Agency Council weigh in with effective tips that can help transform your brand’s followers from a passive audience into a vibrant, loyal and authentic community.
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Sep 12, 2023
The right piece of press coverage can open doors and close deals.
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Before launching, a company is often still refining its identity and values, which makes building a strong brand voice right from the get-go somewhat of a conundrum. Without a deep understanding of the target audience, it is difficult to tailor a brand voice that resonates with them effectively. Moreover, for a company lacking a track record and customer feedback, gauging how the brand voice will be received and whether it aligns with market expectations presents another challenge. Establishing a strong brand voice before a company launches sets the tone and personality of the brand from the outset to make consistent and memorable impressions on target audiences. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council share effective ways for new companies to ensure that a clear and cohesive brand voice guides all marketing efforts and communications so that every interaction aligns with the brand's intended image and messaging, which is crucial for a successful launch.
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To create effective marketing strategies, agencies must first diligently learn about their clients’ audiences to gain deep understanding of the target demographic. Because each client’s audience is unique, tailoring campaigns to resonate with their distinct preferences, behaviors and pain points is essential for success. Of course, considering that clients do not always provide their agency partners with sufficient data or insights, and given the complex and ever-evolving nature of consumer behavior and preferences, learning enough about a client’s audience to build effective campaigns can be a real challenge for agencies. Here, 14 members of Forbes Agency Council share innovative ways to approach this problem. Check out their tips below to learn about unique strategies for understanding a client’s audience.
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The definition of success for any campaign varies, depending on who is doing the defining, the expectations that were set for clients at the outset of the project and, in the end, the measurable outcomes. With data driving most business decisions these days, it’s essential for agencies to ensure their clients not only comprehend the strategy behind a campaign, but also actively help develop the goals, key performance indicators and metrics that will signify success. Bridging potential gaps between a client’s desired results and the outcomes they can reasonably expect to see requires a strategic approach that aligns the client’s vision of success with the realities of advertising and marketing in the digital realm. Below, 17 Forbes Agency Council members share the ways their agencies ensure clients stay on the same page with them as they execute strategies that will help meet realistic goals and cultivate campaigns that deliver tangible success.
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With summer drawing to a close, agency leaders are reflecting on where their firms stood in the recent past, with an eye on where they hope to be in the near future. As the summer slowdown is replaced by a busy fall schedule, smart agencies have been making the most of the present, modifying their operations and experimenting with different approaches and seeking ways to improve to bring more value to their clients, employees, prospects and communities. Below, 18 members of Forbes Agency Council share special things their agencies are doing to make the most of the summertime. Read on to learn why these agencies chose to undertake these particular efforts, the greater purpose behind them and who stands to benefit.
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Digital marketing is a dynamic, perpetually evolving field. To find success, professionals working within it must keep up with the changing trends and potential risks that might impact their efforts from year to year—sometimes, even month to month. In such a fast-paced industry, staying cognizant of pitfalls to be avoided can help digital marketers devise more effective strategies and forge stronger, more trusting relationships with stakeholders and clients. Below, 14 members of Forbes Agency Council share the biggest risks digital marketers face at this time, along with ways to prepare for them and avert unnecessary issues.
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Employees who are happy in their roles and proud of the work their employers do in the world can make some of the very best brand ambassadors for the companies they work for. However, even when team members have a lot of positive things to say about their employer, getting them on board to share their perspectives on social media can be tricky for company leaders. Senior leaders must first generate enthusiasm among employees and inspire them to share their points of view on social media. Then, they must ensure that the content shared effectively showcases both the company’s offerings for new and potential customers and its workplace for prospective employees. Below, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council share tips and important things for businesses to keep in mind as they work to turn employees into company advocates.
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Jun 12, 2023
I have been in this industry for more than 25 years, and here are my takes on when a company might consider hiring a fractional CMO or a fractional CMO service.
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When it comes to sharing positive company news with the public, in-house marketing teams and agency partners have a range of methods at their disposal. However, identifying the best ways to publicize good news about a particular organization is crucial for maximizing its impact and reaching a wide audience. Below, 18 Forbes Agency Council members shared effective ways to publicize positive company news and explain why these approaches yield exceptional results. By strategically selecting the most suitable methods, marketing teams and their agency partners can effectively communicate their company success stories, foster brand loyalty and build a strong reputation in the eyes of consumers and the general public.
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Personalized marketing campaigns have become essential for today’s businesses to attract and retain customers. However, truly personalizing a campaign in an efficient way when you have a large base of prospects and customers can be challenging. Marketers must find ways to tailor their campaigns to each individual’s unique needs and preferences while also making sure that their efforts are efficient and cost-effective. Below, 20 Forbes Agency Council members share their No. 1 tips and strategies to help marketers personalize campaigns without sacrificing efficiency.
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The pervasive influence of artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries across the globe, compelling professionals to deepen their understanding of its impact. Below, 20 members of Forbes Agency Council share the proactive steps they are taking to better comprehend the implications of AI within their respective industries. By reading about their experiences and the lessons they’ve learned, a wealth of insights can be uncovered, shedding light on the transformative power of AI. From exploring emerging technologies to embracing lifelong learning, these professionals offer valuable perspectives that can inspire others to navigate the AI revolution with confidence and a growth mindset.
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Professionals in any field will occasionally encounter client requests that don’t align with their capabilities, values or business objectives. For agency leaders, deciding whether or not to take on a special request from a prospect or an existing client can be challenging. And while it may be tempting to say “yes” to every opportunity that comes along, in certain instances, declining a client’s request is the most prudent decision. Below, 17 Forbes Agency Council members share real-life experiences they’ve had recently where they declined a client’s request, shedding light on the rationale behind their decisions. Read on to gain insights into the importance of setting boundaries with clients, maintaining integrity and prioritizing long-term success.
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Imagine if you could prevent unnecessary meetings, optimize agendas, maintain momentum outside meetings, and free up time, while also unleashing the potential in your team.
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For any business owner, a sudden and significant decrease in website traffic can be alarming. A decline in traffic can mean a drop in sales, fewer leads and a diminished online presence. There are many reasons why website traffic might decline, including algorithm updates, technical problems or changes in content strategy. Below, 20 Forbes Agency Council members explore potential causes for a sharp decline in a client’s website traffic and provide actionable steps to address the issue.
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In a digital marketplace, it’s essential for agencies to leverage the latest software and technology tools to plan, carry out, track and measure their marketing campaigns. From artificial intelligence tools focused on communication to CRM software, the right martech stack can ensure agencies stay on top of their rapidly changing industry and continue to delight clients. Martech tools and trends constantly expand and evolve, so keeping a sharp eye on new and upcoming developments is essential. Below, 13 members of Forbes Agency Council discuss some of the latest trends in martech that are impacting the industry (or soon will be) and how agencies leverage them.
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Given their ever-increasing popularity among consumers, podcasts offer a great way for businesses to reach people in their target markets with content that can help improve their brand awareness, recall and reputation. Of course, proper planning is essential in launching a podcast to ensure it will be effective in meeting the brand’s goals for it. From not staying on-brand or marketing it well enough to pushing out content at an inconsistent cadence, there are many ways a brand can falter when trying to create a podcast. Here, 16 members of Forbes Agency Council share their No. 1 tips to create a successful branded podcast.
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When a buyer who is in the market for a product or service has narrowed their choices down to a handful of options, being able to deliver a well-conceived and well-designed case study that speaks to relevant questions they may still have can be the key to closing the sale. Going beyond a testimonial, a case study can address last-minute concerns and objections while verifying the promise of a company’s value proposition through measurable examples. Case studies come in many formats, and the choice of the best medium depends on many factors, including the target audience and where they are in the buyer's journey. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council share their best tips on using case studies to effectively showcase how valuable a company’s products or services are and persuade shoppers to choose them.
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Aug 9, 2022
Today’s employees want to be sure that companies uphold the highest standards—and that’s not a bad thing.
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Paid social media ads can help companies reach their target audiences faster and with more precision than organic social media marketing tactics. From branded content to influencer messaging to pay-per-click advertising, getting sponsored and promoted content in front of specific audiences on the most popular social media channels can bring big benefits for brands. Of course, a paid social strategy is table stakes for many larger companies, but how can small or midsized businesses get into the game without spending too much of their marketing budget? Here, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council discuss the best ways for smaller companies to get started with paid social media advertising.
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Gathering the contact information of visitors to your business website is a great way to build a list of potential leads. Once they indicate their interest in the value you offer through your content, products or services in this way, you can begin to reach out and nurture that connection, drawing them further into your sales and marketing funnel toward conversion. But first, a user has to find your site, interact with your content and heed your call to action to fill out a form and at least provide their email address. What is the best way to attract visitors to a website where you can collect their contact info? Below, 13 members of Forbes Agency Council share smart ways to do just that.
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Companies are using artificial intelligence for basic communication, to make product recommendations and more. In the world of marketing and advertising, the applications for AI are virtually endless—brands come up with new ideas and innovative ways to leverage it every day. What is the best way to employ AI in marketing and advertising in 2022? Each agency leader will have their own preferences and notions about the most effective use cases for AI in their space, and below, members of Forbes Agency Council share their current favorites.
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Influencers have been used to reach target audiences for longer than many might imagine. While the status of “influencer” has certainly taken off since the rise of YouTubers and online celebrities, notable people have served as influencers to promote causes and businesses for centuries. Today, partnering with those who have huge followings and can influence the behaviors and actions of target audiences has evolved into an impactful tactic that brands of all stripes are keen to leverage. With so many possible combinations and potential points of contact, developing a lucrative partnership with an influencer for a marketing campaign can be a challenging and time-consuming project, full of trial and error. To clear up confusion around the process and help marketers avoid common missteps, 14 members of Forbes Agency Council share their No. 1 tips for the smart use of influencer marketing and navigating partnerships below.
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Apr 26, 2022
Now, more than ever before, individuals expect more from the brands they interact with.
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Successful branding involves a good deal of testing and iterating. However, once audiences are aware that it exists and are considering its products or services, too much variation in a brand’s overall look, feel and story can ruin a good thing. Ensuring brand consistency seems easy enough, but marketers sometimes inadvertently create dissonance among the many elements that make up a brand. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council share the biggest mistakes and lapses in oversight they’ve seen brands make that ruined their consistency and the resulting negative impacts. Read on to learn from the missteps of others and ensure that your branding remains consistent across the board.
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The question of where to place advertisements is no longer relegated to simply print or digital, radio or television. There are countless combinations of channels and approaches brands can take when trying to reach their target audiences with relevant ads today. When clients seek recommendations for the best ad platform for their brand from their agency partners, many variables must be considered to find the best fit. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council share the top things they would look at before recommending an ad platform to a client.
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Professionals working in public relations use digital channels to connect with consumers and build relationships that create trust in the company and its offerings. Good PR can be a game-changer for a business that relies heavily upon a positive public perception to fuel its profitability. With so many aspects of communication and human connection evolving in this digital age, however, the ability to innovate will be a determining factor in the success of PR teams and professionals in the future. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council share their insights into how PR can continue to embrace innovation and remain a relevant and critical discipline.
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Making your company a sought-after asset takes insight into what buyers and investors want to see.
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Marketers today understand that personalizing campaigns for the target audience is the best way to ensure it will generate the desired results. Of course, “personalizing” a mass email blast by only changing each recipient’s name isn’t going to do the trick. Sending out generic messaging to many people with the goal of getting just a small number of them to take action, check out your goods or services, and become customers is not the best strategy. Thankfully, you can narrow your target audience and generate better results with an account-based marketing approach that focuses on strengthening relationships with your top customers through personalized outreach that is tailored to their needs. Here, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council explore important developments and trends in ABM that marketers need to be aware of to build upon the success of their biggest accounts.
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Paid advertising and organic content distribution are bound to be tactics you include when developing a digital marketing strategy for your business. Paying for targeted ads can introduce more consumers to your offerings, whereas the organic content you produce and share via your company website or social media can help guide those who are already seeking the type of product or service you sell into your sales funnel as warm leads. Smart businesses leverage the overlap between these methods of reaching their target audiences by integrating the two. From keyword research to engagement data, there are many factors to weigh as you consider how to use both paid and organic content to elevate and maximize your marketing efforts. Here, 13 members of Forbes Agency Council explore the best ways to ensure the two tactics complement, enhance and inform each other. Before deciding how much of your budget to put toward each, check out their tips below to determine the best mix.
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Tech companies generally know they should be engaging with the industry analyst community, but from what I've seen, not many step up and own it.
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Press releases remain important elements of any organization’s communication strategy, and yet many companies fail to put sufficient thought, creativity and effort into writing and releasing them. Including enough compelling details to get the story across while using an engaging enough tone to capture the attention of media outlets and journalists is a delicate balancing act. Mastering the art of crafting an effective press release is a must for communications professionals. A well-conceived and well-executed press release can help garner exposure for their brand and establish credibility and trust with its target audience, increasing the likelihood of prospects becoming customers. Here, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council explore some of the biggest mistakes they’ve seen brands make with their press releases to help you avoid a similar fate.
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Clients hire agencies with an expectation of seeing strong returns on their investments in advertising, marketing and PR for their companies. What they don't always expect is the amount of time and patience that may be required before they see a significant return on that spend. When it comes to setting confident yet realistic expectations for clients who partner with an agency, the length of the client’s own sales cycle can impact how rapidly their desired results are achieved, and this can vary from industry to industry. Here, nine members of Forbes Agency Council share how the typical length of the sales cycles in their clients’ industries impacts the timeline for measuring the ROI of the campaigns they create and execute for them.
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Rethinking all elements of your communications strategy is essential.
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Snapchat is not dead, especially among 18- through 29-year olds, which is why marketers shouldn’t ignore advertising on this social network. With Snapchat, they can go beyond simply promoting a product and truly connect with members of Generation-Z on their home turf. To engage with this demographic, marketers will need to formulate innovative strategies that leverage Snapchat’s robust features. To take advantage of the marketing opportunities that this social platform provides, consider the ideas 12 members of Forbes Agency Council share below. Follow their tips to help your messaging stand out and resonate with Gen-Zers on Snapchat.
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When an agency lands a prestigious award, a grant or a big investor, it can be a unique marketing opportunity for the company. Regardless of what the honor or accomplishment is, having the business recognized lends credibility. An agency can leverage accolades by publicizing them to drive both sales leads and loyalty among existing customers. Of course, consumers need to hear and learn about the agency’s achievement first. How does a company get the word out that it has been recognized without boasting? Here, 10 professionals from Forbes Agency Council examine the best ways to get the most traction out of an industry award, a grant or any other major accomplishment.
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At a time when most people rarely look for answers beyond a simple Google search, there’s real power in reading work published by those who have been where you dream of going. Whether you’re just starting out or a veteran looking to sharpen your skills, there are multiple books out there that can help you find success in the agency world. The members of Forbes Agency Council recognize the importance of growing and maintaining their industry knowledge. Below, 12 of them share the most influential books that they believe everyone who works in an agency should read. Check out their recommendations and see if any of them are on your physical or digital bookshelf.
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Delivering a quality customer experience is one of the most important aspects of running a business. As successful marketers know, providing valuable products and services and being available for questions and concerns are important factors, but not the whole equation when it comes to giving customers an all-around excellent experience. To really stand out among your competitors, you’ll want to go even further above and beyond for your customers than they might be expecting, adding value at every touch point. Below, 15 experts from Forbes Agency Council share their favorite ways of surprising and delighting prospects and customers. Try their tips to deepen your customer relationships.
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A business’s website statistics offer a lot of insight into its customers’ behavior, and analyzing this data can help show the business what it is doing right or wrong online. If your traffic seems to take a nosedive, there may be several different reasons for the decrease in visitors. Diagnosing the issue can be a time-consuming process, and even more so if you’re not sure where to begin looking. Understanding how online traffic works can eliminate some of the guesswork. Below, 11 experts from Forbes Agency Council discuss common causes they would suggest looking into if one of their client’s saw their business website traffic suddenly plummet. Once you find the problem, you can make adjustments as needed and watch as the number of visitors starts to climb again.
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Artificial intelligence is an innovative technology that aids businesses worldwide in areas ranging from shipping and logistics to sales. In the digital marketing and advertising space, AI can offer crucial technological advantages. Given their ability to learn from mistakes and track records accurately, AI and machine learning are invaluable tools for collecting and analyzing data. While workflow processes can be improved by leveraging AI, doing so requires a clear understanding of how the system would work. Below, 11 experts from Forbes Agency Council weigh in on how an agency can improve its workflow by using AI to bolster existing processes.
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Social media offers marketers a unique way to interact with customers. With a bit of wit and personality, brands can establish a deep relationship with their buyers online and leverage that sense of connection to promote their products and services. However, while social media gives businesses unparallelled access to consumers, it can also highlight mistakes, potentially throwing a company’s perceived flaws into stark relief for the entire internet to see. In the age of “cancel culture” and increasing social activism, a single off-color tweet or poorly conceived post could tarnish a brand’s carefully curated image or, worse, damage its reputation. How can marketers avoid running afoul of consumers on social media? Below, ten experts from Forbes Agency Council explore different ways to sidestep the impending doom of major social media blunders.
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Many brands have separate departments for content marketing and media planning, both of which help get their products and services out in front of customers. However, for a business to truly engage its target audience, these factions need to collaborate to ensure they build upon one another’s efforts. Inconsistent messaging in owned and earned media signals a failure to define target audiences and align content strategy and media planning around the brand’s goals for reaching them. When consumers feel confused by conflicting messages in different channels, it makes the brand look as if it doesn’t know what it’s doing, leading to less effective marketing and advertising and decreasing sales. Below, 11 experts from Forbes Agency Council discuss the most effective ways to keep content marketing strategy on the same page with media planning and ensure the right audience is reached with a cohesive brand story and coherent messaging.
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Publicity stunts can be eye-catching and draw considerable interest in an organization’s products or services if planned and executed properly. But creating an effective publicity stunt takes more than just selecting a location and making something outrageous happen. Unlike other advertising and marketing methods, publicity stunts are largely impromptu, and it is difficult if not impossible to predict what could potentially go wrong or backfire with one in advance. Agencies need to gain clarity around every aspect of the related campaign before they decide it's the direction they want to go. To help, 12 leaders from Forbes Agency Council examine some of the critical factors marketers should consider before setting out to stage a publicity stunt to ensure it goes off with less chance of a major hiccup.
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Feb 17, 2021
Female founders, particularly founders of color, face unique challenges, including lack of access to networks, business advice and capital.
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As a content marketer, it's evident that some methods of grabbing attention work better than others. The same goes for crafting content. There are some ways of throwing together content that get a lot more traction than others. "Hacking" the content creation process allows a creator to be more effective and efficient with the content he or she produces. With so much information about content writing and marketing, it's still difficult to ascertain how a professional can fast-track their content and make it more attractive to the core audience. To help, 13 experts from Forbes Agency Council come to the rescue with their own useful content hacks that any marketer or content writing professional can apply to their own work.
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There's no question about it: capitalizing on a specific niche can be highly lucrative. Although, while specializing does open new avenues for earning and potential to interact with different companies, it also has the side effect of limiting a company's scope and potentially alienating existing clientele. Before an agency decides to go this route, the leaders need to carefully consider some pertinent facts, ranging from the market’s potential to the team’s passion for the work. Below, ten contributors to Forbes Agency Council share some of the key considerations for any agency that wants to niche down.
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Trends in the world of advertising, marketing and public relations are exciting and elusive things. Their popularity can go through the roof one week and be virtually nonexistent by the start of the next one. Regardless of how unpredictable they can be, getting in on a trend before others do can be a massive boon for an agency. Consequently, there’s a continual focus on determining which emerging trends will explode before they become mainstream. Below, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council look at some of the trends they expect to rise to prominence as this year progresses.
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Jan 26, 2021
2021 will be the year when companies will stand out in new ways by reimagining and nurturing the customer journey, the employer-employee connection and the brand reputation.
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Some agency clients aren’t able to address important questions marketers need answered in order to devise the best strategy to meet their needs. Luckily, analytics tools can help agencies uncover illuminating data that clients are unable to provide. The key is to identify which specific types of data should be analyzed to inform a strategy that achieves a client’s marketing goals. Below, experts from Forbes Agency Council share 11 valuable pieces of information an agency can discover by analyzing its clients’ Google Analytics.
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The internet offers brands seemingly infinite avenues for reaching target audiences, and the number and variety of digital marketing tactics have grown exponentially in the past decade. However, when it comes to making digital ads more memorable and motivating for consumers, complementary print advertising can be a fantastic way to amplify your online messaging. Here, Forbes Agency Council members explore 14 of the best methods for integrating print into omnichannel marketing strategies to help you nurture potential leads from multiple touch points.
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Oct 14, 2020
Responding to consumers in real time is the cornerstone of conversational marketing, leading businesses around the world to implement tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their customer outreach. Taking a more personalized and conversational approach to automated communication makes it easier for businesses to guide consumers toward specialized solutions that will meet their needs. Success with conversational marketing can be achieved using different methodologies. Here, 12 experts from Forbes Agency Council talk about the most creative conversational marketing strategies they've seen employed successfully, demonstrating how well AI can support business goals.
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You’ve reached out to make initial contact, nurtured relationships and pushed for commitments. Following that, silence from potential customers signals their fading enthusiasm. When leads stop responding, rekindling their interest can help salvage the investment you’ve made in converting them to customers. However, as seasoned marketers know, reengaging with cold leads is easier said than done. Don’t give up if a prospect stops responding to you. Instead, find the best way to revive the connection you’ve already established. Here, 11 experts from Forbes Agency Council share the methods they use to reengage with leads that have gone cold.
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Agencies often depend on customer feedback for a variety of reasons. However, the key to unlocking the truth of customer surveys is to design one that consumers don't mind answering. The questions must be direct, but not intrusive. Yet the data it gathers must be used to develop an intricate pattern of what the consumer truly thinks about the company. How can a company create a valuable survey while being careful not to be too direct or aggressive with its questions? To help, we asked 13 contributors to Forbes Agency Council to share their insight into how businesses can build excellent customer surveys that actually provide employable data. Here's what they told us.
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Industry experts are convinced that the world will never go back to how it was before the global pandemic. The "new normal," as media terms it, has a focus on more socially-distanced interactions and a reliance on technology. For business-to-business organizations, this means changing the way they operate, from promotion and marketing to maintaining consumer engagement, selling, and more. But how can B2B companies change their marketing strategies for optimal engagement in a post-COVID world? What challenges will they face getting buyers and creating connections with customers? Fifteen professionals from Forbes Agency Council explore some of the changes B2B business marketing has to go through to succeed in a post-pandemic society.
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It's time to remind employees about your company's policies on politics in the office.
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Consumers have to deal with so much advertising daily that they are very particular about the ones they listen to. Thanks to the sheer volume of marketing efforts, buyers have become clued-in to what inauthentic marketing looks like. Consumers treat businesses that try to perform inauthentic marketing with disdain, and modern cancel-culture can lead to massive PR disasters. If you want to connect with your clients, you need to do it in a way that resonates with them authentically. Below, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council share several critical tips to help businesses be more genuine in their marketing endeavors.
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Many of us are familiar with quick-turn projects and the stress they bring. Many marketers may hope to have a longer lead time before a project comes due, but this also carries with it its own series of challenges. Long-lead projects can feel like they're dragging, and because progress is so slow, the frustration may leak into the rest of your work. Professionals in the industry have developed their own methods of working with long-lead deadlines to limit the feeling of impending disaster as the submission date looms. Eight experts from Forbes Agency Council share their wisdom in dealing with long-lead deadlines and offer their best advice on how to best prepare for this kind of task.
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It's no secret that influencer marketing has taken the industry by storm. Most brands that want to make a name for themselves on social media have partnered with an influencer that appeals to their goals. However, companies need to make sure they pick the right influencer for their brand and to this end, they need to do their due diligence and carefully research the influencer, including their previous work, their followers and engagement levels. All it takes for a brand to ruin all that hard work is for their influencer to be outed doing something socially unacceptable by an outraged mob. To help, 13 experts from Forbes Agency Council dive into the list of essential things any company should remember when engaging new influencers as brand ambassadors.
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Jul 28, 2020
Podcasts have become the voice of a new generation. More and more, on long flights, entrepreneurs spend more time listening to podcasts as a way to learn and relax. Due to this, business-to-business podcasts have become unique vehicles for interacting with other businesses and owners in the same industry. Podcasting isn't a simple process, unfortunately. Even with a good idea of what you want to do, and an outline of topics you wish to cover, some nuances may make you miss your mark. To help, 15 associates of Forbes Agency Council share crucial advice to help those who want to embark on the quest of crafting a memorable B2B podcast.
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Jul 27, 2020
It's no secret that in-person networking is a huge factor in helping some businesses grow. People tend to connect better when being near to the person they're talking to physically. Unfortunately, on account of the current pandemic and social distancing rules, in-person meetings have been curtailed until further notice. This unfortunate consequence leaves many businesses that used to rely on in-person meetings to drive their interactions in a bind. Luckily, in-person meetings can be replaced with original promotional/developmental sources, allowing for communication tactics that are almost as effective at drawing in customer interaction. Fifteen members of Forbes Agency Council explore some of the creative alternatives to in-person networking that work just as well, without risking the lives of employees.
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Blogs have become a crucial element in many businesses' content marketing strategies. They serve as a cost-effective method of sharing news, opinions, and information regarding the industry and the product. However, despite their usefulness, some blogs just don't see the kind of repeat visitors they'd like to see. Repeat traffic means that the blog is attracting clients who are interested in the field. Fortunately, there are several innovative ways to help a business increase the number of repeat visitors they get per month on their blog. Here, 12 experts from Forbes Agency Council share how they managed to bring customers back to their blog time and time again, to their benefit.
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An executive team that can’t communicate effectively is a red flag to employees.
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The world changes and evolves daily. Each industry does the same, dealing with new challenges and finding new ways to innovate products and services. In recent years, the marketing industry has advanced by leaps and bounds. Between new methods of marketing (content, influencer, etc.) and navigating changing customer behavior, the industry is nothing like it was a mere decade ago. Despite this, there are several aspects of marketing that remain true, no matter how much the industry evolves. Fifteen members of Forbes Agency Council examine what these "evergreen" aspects of marketing are and explain what marketing professionals can learn from these constants.
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While, in most cases, marketing has the task of attracting buyers, this isn't always true. Some companies have adapted their marketing techniques into the realm of hiring. The result of this evolution is recruitment techniques that use marketing principles to "sell" the company to potential hires. The businesses that have done this may see a lot more attention from A-list talent than those who have sequestered their marketing department to work solely with customers. But how can a company best apply marketing principles to attracting talent? Twelve contributors to Forbes Agency Council explore this subject in great detail, using examples they've witnessed themselves.
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No matter how successful your agency is, things don’t always go as planned, especially in the current global climate. You may find yourself with an unexpected loss of income, requiring you to make some quick changes to keep your company running smoothly. While you can’t predict the future, you can prepare your agency for a sudden cash flow interruption and other emergencies. Below, the members of Forbes Agency Council share 14 strategies for staying financially agile and adaptable in challenging times.
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Conferences are essential to a digital agency because of the wealth of networking opportunities and industry knowledge participants are exposed to. However, not all meetings offer the same depth of experience. Some have far more traffic and big industry names in attendance. Those are the conferences where a rising star within the industry is most likely to get noticed. Attending smaller meetings can have its benefits, as well, such as allowing for a closed environment to meet other industry pros. To get direct industry insight, we asked 15 members of Forbes Agency Council what are the most popular conferences for marketing professionals who want to be seen. Here's what they had to say.
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LinkedIn has existed as a social network for many years, but only recently has it showed up as a powerhouse in business-to-business marketing. On LinkedIn, professionals connect directly, which can result in a peer network with vast direct marketing potential. Several B2B marketers have realized this and have started leveraging the platform's power to help them with their marketing efforts. The straightforward nature of these techniques makes them far more likely to succeed than an impersonal form letter. These 13 experts from Forbes Agency Council share their insight into how a business can leverage LinkedIn to develop a successful B2B marketing campaign.
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Artificial intelligence, if properly implemented, allows a business to automate a large volume of repetitive tasks. For an agency, this can be a godsend, as it removes a lot of the drudgery involved in the industry. Instead of spending hours working on administrative reports, creatives within an enterprise can dedicate that time to exploring their ideas. However, implementing AI can be a challenge, especially when there are no set methods of doing so. These 13 professionals from Forbes Agency Council share how agencies can use AI to help improve and better manage their workflow.
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Apr 16, 2020
Before you can see the results you desire, you have to do the research.
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The world has evolved, and marketing agencies have changed and developed alongside it. One of the problems with being inside the industry is that professionals rarely realize when the industry has shifted away from their skill set. Today's world is an entirely different environment than it was a mere 10 years ago. Within the space of a decade, we've seen massive strides in technology and the way people consume content. Such dramatic change raises the importance of specific skills in the world of marketing, while making others obsolete. As a professional, knowing which skills are in demand can help you better adapt to the market's needs. Below, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council offer their guidance on the must-have skills agency professionals should prioritize today to achieve success.
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Social media algorithms make it so that the longer a post stays without interaction, the less likely it is to make it to prominence. The key then is making sure all posts are highly engaging in order to be noticed and shared. If you're using social media as a marketing channel, getting seen is precisely what you want. Engaging your followers to reply, like, and repost can help skyrocket a post to the top of others' feeds. These 15 contributors to Forbes Agency Council explain how to craft social media posts that engage followers and, as a result, remain at the top of their feeds for a longer time.
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One of the hallmarks of working in an agency is that no two clients want the same thing. Even so, a few campaigns that professionals have worked on are unusual and distinct. Sometimes the client wants something unique and potentially strange to the agency. One might look at this as just another quirk of the profession, but the true masters see these unusual requests as an ability to learn. The things you discover from a strange request might come in handy later down the road in another project. Below, 13 contributors to Forbes Agency Council talk about some of the most unique and challenging client campaigns they ever worked on and the valuable lessons they gained from the experience.
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An honest and thorough evaluation of the skills your company needs — and knowing whether your team has the right chops — can help you weather whatever storm comes your way.
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In recent years, there has been an explosion of activism on the internet, but several businesses have opted to stay away from addressing sensitive topics or anything that may be construed as political for fear of not alienating their target audiences. While this may be a smart marketing decision, it gives up a chance for the business to establish authority and inject authenticity into its branding. Even so, not every taboo topic is worth investing time and content into, while others can significantly boost a brand’s visibility and help it ultimately draw in more potential customers. Nine members of Forbes Agency Council delve into the taboo topics that can help a business connect to its audience and establish a sense of personality to the brand without being too offensive.
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Marketing trends can rise to prominence in the blink of an eye. Sadly, they can also fade into obscurity just as quickly. For a marketing team, deciding which trends to follow and invest in and which ones to ignore is a critical part of financial planning. Because of the lag time between the trend becoming popular and the business being able to utilize the trend, knowing which ones have longevity is essential to figuring out where the company should invest. Determining which trends are worth it early on will give the business more time to develop its strategy accordingly. Here, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council examine some of the key criteria they use to decide whether a trend is worth investing in or not.
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The citizen reporter has free rein, and they are holding people and companies accountable at a higher level than we have ever seen before.
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The Super Bowl remains one of the most-watched TV programs in the entire country, year after year. While not every business has access to the kind of budget to put a TV ad on at halftime for the Super Bowl, there are several other options that businesses can look at. Marketing opportunities are evident for the right companies. By leveraging this event the right way, a company can connect with its customers on a fundamental level, even if it's not during the halftime show. Ten members of Forbes Agency Council explore how a company can still use the Super Bowl to market its products if it cannot invest in a TV ad spot on the day itself.
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Jan 9, 2020
With the change of each year, there comes a distinct alteration of trends in the marketing industry. The changes that occur may be blatant, but more often, they are subtle, and you need to be looking for them to notice what they are. Determining what is trending is in a company’s best interests since it gives it the ability to focus on the big issues. With social media competing with mass media, a trend could explode in a matter of hours, making it even more critical to predict the eventuality before it happens. To help, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council weigh in on the trends they expect to show up throughout 2020, to better inform marketers where they should be putting their focus.
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Expansion is one of the most exciting parts of business growth. However, new markets may be significantly culturally different from the company's traditional customer base. That's why a business should have a framework in place to gauge the response of the new audience before it releases its product or starts providing services in that market. Because of the cultural differences, some of the tweaks to a product's marketing may be minor, but in a few cases, massive overhauls need to be done to ensure that the buyers find the product attractive. To aid companies embarking on expansion, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council explore some of the methods businesses can use to test product engagement in new markets.
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Dec 10, 2019
Today’s winning businesses walk their talk.
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Nowadays, digital marketing is what clients focus on primarily. Because of this, agencies have had to move with the time, investing in digital marketing techniques that can offer new avenues for engaging with consumers. New marketing technology has a lot of potential, but some agencies never realize the latent power of their marketing tech. A business deciding to choose the wrong platform in their martech adoption could cause far more problems than the digital platform would solve. To help agencies come to grips with what they should keep in mind, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council share several vital questions an agency should ask and answer when considering implementing new marketing tech.
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Company culture is a key factor in establishing a company’s brand to attract new customers but also talented hires. Core values and how employees mesh with each other is one of the first things a potential employee examines when considering if a particular company would be a good fit for them. Organizations that are looking at bringing in talent that meshes well with their company culture usually advertise that as one of the benefits of joining their enterprise, just as they would advertise their values to attract new business. Below, 11 professionals from Forbes Agency Council discuss some of the most effective techniques businesses use to market their company culture.
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Company culture is a key factor in establishing a company’s brand to attract new customers but also talented hires. Core values and how employees mesh with each other is one of the first things a potential employee examines when considering if a particular company would be a good fit for them. Organizations that are looking at bringing in talent that meshes well with their company culture usually advertise that as one of the benefits of joining their enterprise, just as they would advertise their values to attract new business. Below, 11 professionals from Forbes Agency Council discuss some of the most effective techniques businesses use to market their company culture.
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B2B content is often viewed as unexciting, difficult and a slog of a read -- but it doesn't have to be.
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In building or evolving a brand’s position, there are a few key steps that simply can’t be skipped or circumnavigated without significant repercussions.
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So much of what we accomplish as leaders and colleagues is derived from listening: to our employees, customers, peers and ourselves.
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Before entering a new calendar year, every company and executive team should develop, revisit and test a crisis plan.
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Align your goals and resources with overall timing well in advance so your team and partners can help you score the recognition you deserve.
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If you can answer “yes” to the following questions, you might be ready for PR.
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Jul 3, 2018
Welcome to the world of brand versus everyone else.
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Executives who play an active role in the recruitment and review process will inevitably save their enterprises from the headaches of improper hires or inadequate performance.
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The average customer doesn’t care about how you’re using machine learning. He does care about what machine learning delivers to him, the user.
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Mar 16, 2018
Culture is perfected in good times but forged in the bad.
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Brand equity is not built on backlinks. It’s created by communicating a clear understanding of what a company stands for and how the company is differentiated.
Company details
Red Fan Communications
Company bio
Red Fan is the strategic communications advisor for dynamic B2B tech brands. We go beyond public relations to tell compelling stories and make meaningful connections. Our immersive approach delivers creative leaps and pragmatic progress. Red Fan doesn’t do “what’s done” — we do the work to find what works for growth-oriented brands. Questioning every assumption, we discern challenges and opportunities. Then, we develop data-informed strategies, craft relevant content, and strike up the conversations you need to build momentum.